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….. That pic shows how to support the trans while removing the engine , but there's no reason it won't work in reverse … if you aren't planning on keeping the car mobile , a jack stand under the oil pan works too ! …..
The main reason I did this is so that the trans was supported by the car and not by the ground so that I can keep it mobile on the wheel dollies, like stated in the post above. Since my garage has a revolving door on it with other peoples **** coming in and out constantly, I needed the ability to move the car around in and out of my main work area.
Last edited by Pwnage1337; Mar 18, 2019 at 12:00 AM.
Reason: Added some humor cause i'm from the country and i like it that way
The main reason I did this is so that the trans was supported by the car and not by the ground so that I can keep it mobile on the wheel dollies, like stated in the post above.
saweet !! was hoping whoever it was would see this!
so i have a lift and i wanted to use your method for holding the engine up while i drop the trans to do the clutch/tob on my 86 4+3.
was thinking of using a 4x4 post and either chain or multiple 1000 lbs wratchet straps.
thoughts?
i want to be able to lower the car after dropping the trans. i cant do that if im supporting the engine from below.
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furthermore, i also have an 87 auto that i am doing a cradle swap on (wife drove over a rock) and i would hope to employ the same method of suspending the engine and trans while i drop the kmember.
im desperately trying to avoid being on my back. id like to use my lift. while being able to lower car.
That picture seems to show the chain attached to the "front" of the 2 x 4. If that's true, any little bump could cause the 2 x 4 to roll forward, and the whole mess would come crashing down!!!
myself i wS thinking about using a 4x4 post as a beam. or even a 6x6 beam. i have them laying around.
my concern with holding the engine up is if beam will get pulled forward but i have to believe the downforce/friction of the engine is more than enough to slightly imprint the hood latch pin pedestals into the wood which would stop it from being pulled down.
again all i am trying to do is suspend the engine in a way that allows me to raise and lower the car on the lift.
then subsequently to a second car, carry out the same method while i drop and replace the k-member / engine cradle on a lift.
i will buy one trans jack and modify it for my height of lift and i can do my clutch this way. then i can use it to drop the cradle as well.
Matt, on the L98 cars (cant recall what you have) the distributor will hit the firewall as the engine sags.
even if all i had to do was remove the cap, id still want to support the engine for peace of mind as i will be under the car with it off the cround about 5ft.
I used to have a place with a work pit in the garage and changed a few clutches and trannys over the years and wanted the vehicles to be movable. I took a couple of lengths of 1/2" threaded rod and heated the ends to make J hooks out of them. Length of decent size channel iron drilled so that the J hooks could be hooked into holes in the frame and the channel attached to the hooks. I made a large wooden pad out of ply that fit over the channel to support the engine by the oil pan.
Snug it up, pull the tranny and clutch and have a car that can be rolled pretty much anywhere.
The length of the channel needs to be considered so you can turn the wheels without hitting the channel iron. You could also drill the channel so you could use it on multiple vehicles with different frame widths. Big thing was the frame needed holes in it so you could put in the J-hooks.
That picture seems to show the chain attached to the "front" of the 2 x 4. If that's true, any little bump could cause the 2 x 4 to roll forward, and the whole mess would come crashing down!!!
Yes, the picture appears this way and yeah sure it could topple if you think that you are going to jar the car hard enough to throw the suspended drivetrain off balance. After setting it up like this, I grabbed the 2x4 and gave it a shake just like anyone with a passion for potentially ******* up a bunch of **** would do and found that the weight of the transmission rendered the assembly pretty much unmovable. For what its worth, the car is still sitting like this, like it has been since October/November/Whenever and has been pushed around the garage at least a dozen times.
Originally Posted by VikingTrad3r
Seems to have worked for pwnage.
myself i wS thinking about using a 4x4 post as a beam. or even a 6x6 beam. i have them laying around.
my concern with holding the engine up is if beam will get pulled forward but i have to believe the downforce/friction of the engine is more than enough to slightly imprint the hood latch pin pedestals into the wood which would stop it from being pulled down. THIS
again all i am trying to do is suspend the engine in a way that allows me to raise and lower the car on the lift.
then subsequently to a second car, carry out the same method while i drop and replace the k-member / engine cradle on a lift.
i will buy one trans jack and modify it for my height of lift and i can do my clutch this way. then i can use it to drop the cradle as well.
Matt, on the L98 cars (cant recall what you have) the distributor will hit the firewall as the engine sags.
even if all i had to do was remove the cap, id still want to support the engine for peace of mind as i will be under the car with it off the cround about 5ft.
any further comments/ brainstorms welcome!
Last edited by Pwnage1337; Mar 19, 2019 at 01:45 AM.
I use wood blocks and pieces of wood for all sorts of things like this. You have to suspend the engine on a front wheel drive car if you remove the trans. You can buy the fancy steel supporting equipment or you can make your own with 2*4s for a few dollars.
If you look at front wheel drive tools, a support like that is very common for use when pulling a transmission. It supports the engine so the trans can drop out the bottom.
They cost about $50 to $100 dollars. The have support "feet" to locate on the car, and some have some added features to allow for adjustment of the support locations for both the ends on the car (fenders/braces/etc) and for where the chain supports for the engine are).
I have one, but didn't like it because I was concerned about movement, so I took some 2.5" square steel tubing and made a cross piece like the OP shows, but then also added a piece to come out to the front side to keep it stable. They work fine for front wheel drive work, and could be useful for things like the OP shows.
pull the rear exhaust manifold bolt and go to hardware stor and get a much longer one. use these long bolts as hook points.
im mocking this up now and thats a very “rearward” point that will minimally pull the whole thing forward. if a guy wants to remove his exhaust manifolds you could still do it one at a time, then rethread the long bolt back in.
the other bolt that would work well is the distributor hold down clamp bolt. but that is into aluminum and im not sure about that. maybe all three could be used.
now to secure the beam to the hood latch pedestals, im going to pull each front quarter panel and go around the frame with a wratchet strap. that keeps them with lots of downforce and they cant move forward.
not sure with that rear ex manifold bolt how much longer it can be before i will not be able remove the bolt.
in that case, will need to get a couple “lifting eyes” and put them in there temporarily.
pull the rear exhaust manifold bolt and go to hardware stor and get a much longer one. use these long bolts as hook points.
im mocking this up now and thats a very “rearward” point that will minimally pull the whole thing forward. if a guy wants to remove his exhaust manifolds you could still do it one at a time, then rethread the long bolt back in.
the other bolt that would work well is the distributor hold down clamp bolt. but that is into aluminum and im not sure about that. maybe all three could be used.
now to secure the beam to the hood latch pedestals, im going to pull each front quarter panel and go around the frame with a wratchet strap. that keeps them with lots of downforce and they cant move forward.
not sure with that rear ex manifold bolt how much longer it can be before i will not be able remove the bolt.
in that case, will need to get a couple “lifting eyes” and put them in there temporarily.
thoughts?
When I pull my motor, I use the threaded 3/8" hole in the back of the heads as attachment points for my engine leveler . If the motor mounts are still attached, you could use the threaded hole on the back of the passenger side head to hold the motor up.
this 2x4 method of supporting engine while dropping trans?
